Buccaneers Rookies Brawl During NFL Rookie Symposium Session

Buccaneers rookies CB Aqib Talib and RB Cory Boyd Wednesday at the NFL rookie symposium in Carlsbad, California, were "involved in a ... slugfest," according to Mike Florio of PROFOOTBALLTALK.com. The players, who were among rookies from four different teams in a budget and finances meeting, had been "jawing at each other for a while, and it came to a head during that specific session." It is unknown whether the players were or will be disciplined (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 7/2). The fight was broken up by Packers Dir of Player Development Rob Davis (PROFOOTBALLTALK.COM, 7/2).

ROOKIE SALARY CAP: ESPN’s Chris Mortensen said it was a “PR stunt” when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league needs a rookie salary cap. Mortensen: “In my talks with owners and executives leading up to the time in May when the owners opted out of the current (CBA), there’s never been a mention of rookie salaries being an issue. What Goodell knows and the owners do know is that the one way they can gain sympathy with the public for the coming labor confrontation, and also win over veteran players, is to push the concept of a rookie-wage scale when in fact it’s in their circle of core issues” (“NFL Live,” ESPN, 7/2). ESPN’s J.A. Adande: “I think this is something that you will see instituted in the NFL because it’ll be a nice bargaining chip. The veterans will say, ‘OK Roger Goodell, you can have this. We want some other concession from you’” ("PTI," ESPN, 7/2).